Updates, webinars, events, opportunities to get involved, resources, and research to support Thompson Okanagan tourism professionals.
Midnight Musings from the TOTA Team
Hi there,
In June, Canada recognizes Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21. These dates provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences, and histories of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
This month and throughout the year, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) acknowledges that:
The Thompson Okanagan region is situated on the traditional, unceded territory of three Interior Salish nations: the Syilx, Secwépemc, and Nlaka'pamux peoples. As well, the Thompson Okanagan includes land and water routes that were created and used, both historically and presently, by Indigenous peoples as seasonal travel and trade routes.
The TOTA office and Tourism Inspiration Centre are situated on the traditional, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan People.
We are grateful to have the opportunity to create, collaborate, play, and work on these lands. You can learn more about the land acknowledgement and First Nations in the Thompson Okanagan at TOTABC.org/land-acknowledgement.
Indigenous Tourism Initiatives
Since 2016, TOTA and Indigenous Tourism British Columbia have collaborated on Indigenous tourism development initiatives through a jointly hired Regional Indigenous Tourism Specialist.
The Indigenous Tourism Specialist is working to:
Increase Indigenous tourism businesses and experiences;
Grow partnerships that align with Indigenous tourism community;
Share knowledge about Indigenous tourism practices;
Inspire tourism industry to embrace and take action to increase Capacity within the region through partnerships.
To achieve these goals, the Indigenous Tourism Specialist will consult with Indigenous leaders, communities, and businesses in order to build strong lasting relationships with the Indigenous communities and businesses.
Indigenous Artisan Trails (IArT) Mobile Gallery Artist Program for artists to feature and sell artwork and artisan products from the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Inspiration Centre on Route 97 near Peachland.
Partnership with Wines of British Columbia to 1. Highlight BC wine and Indigenous food pairings on the Perfect Pairing Recipes page; 2. highlight Indigenous tourism experiences on the Wines of BC Explorer App; and 3. Host Indigenous influencer, Suzette Amaya, on a Thompson Okanagan wine and Indigenous cultural experience tour.
Reconciliation through Conversations and Indigenous Tourism Experiences at Meet Me on Bernard in Kelowna on Tuesdays, beside Westbank First Nations Sncewips Heritage Museum.
Incorporate Reconciliation in internal organization practices as "Sustainable Development Goal #18", including employee training and familiarization tours, formal agreements with Indigenous communities, and addition of Indigenous sourced retail and office supplies.
Get Involved
To learn more about Indigenous tourism, TOTA’s initiatives, and how your business can get involved, visit TOTABC.org/Indigenous and feel free to email the Indigenous Tourism Specialist at [email protected].
The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre has been activated due to rising water levels in creeks and streams and flowing into Okanagan Lake. Central Okanagan Emergency Operations recommends that property managers with waterfront and flood-prone areas take pre-cautions, as any wind, rain, or wake from boats has the potential to cause further erosion and damage to waterfront property and structures.
For tourism related questions, concerns, or challenges, feel free to connect with TOTA's Crisis Communications Coordinator by emailing [email protected].
The Province of B.C. is launching the BC Heat Alert and Response System (BC HARS) to help ensure people, First Nations communities, and local governments have the tools they need to stay safe during heat events. Under BC HARS, the Province is prepared to issue a Broadcast Intrusive alert for extreme heat emergencies. The Province is also bringing in additional measures to bolster B.C.’s ambulance system to better respond to a significant increase in 911 calls during a heat emergency.
The government announced that as of June 20, 2022, the vaccination requirements are suspended for domestic and outbound travel, federally regulated transportation sectors and federal government employees.
The key impacts to travellers and transportation workers are:
As of June 20, the vaccination requirement to board a plane or a train in Canada will be suspended.
Federally regulated transport sector employers will no longer be required to have mandatory vaccination policies in place for employees.
Due to the unique nature of cruise ship travel, vaccination requirements for passengers and crew of cruise ships will continue to remain in effect.
Masking and other public health protection measures will continue to be in place and enforced on planes, trains, and ships.
Current border measures, including the existing vaccination requirement for most foreign nationals to enter Canada, and quarantine and testing requirements for Canadians who have not received their primary vaccine series, remain in effect.
A heat pump is an energy efficient alternative to furnaces and baseboard heaters. Heat pumps act like reverse refrigerators transferring heat from a cool space to a warm place. Alternatively heat pumps can also work as air conditioners.
During the cool weather, heat pumps move heat from cool space outdoors to warm the indooars.
During the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from the indoors into the outdoor space.
As heat pumps transfer heat rather than generate heat, they can be quite efficient as compared to traditional heating systems.
If interested, you can connect with the TOTA Energy Analyst who can help you in finding the right energy efficiency solution for your business and inform you of the various rebates available from FortisBC.
The Tourism Industry Association BC (TIABC) has been working to address the ongoing concerns regarding the province-wide maintenance and replacement of service and attraction highway signage, an important component of wayfinding for visitors to B.C. TIABC developed a comprehensive list of the core issues regarding the current signage policy and subsequently developed the TIABC Policy on Province-wide Maintenance & Replacement of Service & Attraction Highway Signage.
Permanent repairs to flood-damaged sections of the Coquihalla (Highway 5) and Highway 1 will soon be underway. Work is expected to be substantially complete by winter. All efforts will be made to minimize traffic disruptions during peak travel hours and crews will work overnight when possible.
A new online poll conducted on behalf of the Outdoor Recreation Council of British Columbia shows that British Columbians are enthusiastic about outdoor recreation and support more government investment in the development and maintenance of trails, parks and other recreation amenities in the province.
Survey highlights:
7/10 BC residents have participated in outdoor recreation activities in BC in the past 12 months.
3/4 BC residents agree that access to good outdoor recreation opportunities is an important reason they chose to live in their communities.
With summer approaching, Boating BC is renewing its call for increased safety on BC’s waterways with a public service advertising campaign reminding BC’s boaters that when it comes to safety, excuses don’t float.
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC)’s enhanced Pow Wow website (CanadianPowWows.ca) helps travellers locate public Pow Wows near them and invites everyone to experience these authentic cultural celebrations.
Pow Wows are powerful Indigenous gatherings and one of the many ways travellers can engage with meaningful Indigenous experiences and expand their understanding of Indigenous culture, throughout National Indigenous History Month and all year round.
Congratulations to Big White Ski Resort Senior Vice President, Michael J. Ballingall, on earning the the Far West Ski Association’s Bill Mackey Award for Outstanding Ski Industry Employee. Ballingall is the third Big White employee to receive the award, making Big White one only two resorts in North America to have received this award three times.
On June 23, Accelerate Okanagan will host Hacking Housing, a single-day in-person hackathon event to generate innovative solutions addressing housing in the Okanagan Valley, held at the Kelowna Innovation Centre. This event is open to all who are interested in developing an innovative mindset and building creative solutions to a critical challenge faced by our community.
The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) will be accepting applications to fund projects to assist the Province of British Columbia in reducing wildfire risk and increasing community resiliency to wildfire across BC. FESBC is committed to ensure wildfire risk reduction projects approved by the FESBC board are aligned with both the Ministry of Forests and the BC Wildfire Services Branch priorities and standards. In addition, FESBC is looking to fund projects that minimize emissions associated with open burning by incorporating measures that will increase the levels of waste wood utilization. FESBC gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Forests.
Learn how Indigenous businesses can develop Indigenous Cultural Tourism experiences and how any tourism business can incorporate Indigenous tourism into their offerings.
Host: Wine Growers BC, Canada, Ontario, & Nova Scotia
Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC) along with Wine Growers Canada, Wine Growers Ontario and Wine Growers Nova Scotia are hosting a virtual Canadian Wine Growers Symposium and Annual Awards Ceremony with high profile speakers addressing emerging political and market trends and impacts of the pandemic, followed by the Wine Growers Canada and Wine Growers British Columbia Industry Recognition Awards. Registration is complimentary for industry professionals.
The Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail Fundraising Committee is raising funds to complete the trail connecting Sicamous and Armstrong for 2023. Each metre of trail surface costs $160 and with 50,000 metres to go, the fundraising goal is $8,000,000. Funds can help leverage government funding to address all the other layers.
On June 30, 2021, the beautiful Village of Lytton was destroyed by a wildfire. Fort Berens Estate Winery Ltd, based in Lillooet, has a deep connection to the people and community of Lytton. The Fort Berens Winery team launched a fundraising campaign from June 3-12.
While the campaign has officially ended, donations are still being accepted to support Lytton.
NAV CANADA released traffic figures for the month of May 2022, showing that air travel in Canada is on the rise. With one key hurdle to the resumption of cross-border air travel – pre-entry testing – dropped in April, May saw a 117% increase in traffic over the same month in 2021.
Despite the promising report, air traffic still hasn’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels. NAV CANADA's numbers indicate air traffic in Canada in May was nearly 15% lower than May 2019. The data demonstrates a clear direction towards industry recovery and Canada’s airlines are still banking on a busy summer of travel to continue the momentum.
go2HR released Regional Workforce Profiles to support employers and people seeking work in the tourism and hospitality sector. The Workforce Profiles describe 11 profiles of the 2021 tourism and hospitality workforce, including demographic information to better understand the nuances of the industry workforce and an analysis of how the workforce has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
To reduce wildfires in higher-risk communities, the BC government is providing $25 million in new funding to the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC). This investment will support community projects that reduce wildfire risk and enhance wildlife habitat, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, forest recreation and ecological resiliency.
The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is accepting applications to fund projects to assist the Province of British Columbia in reducing wildfire risk and increasing community resiliency to wildfire across BC. FESBC will host a virtual information session via Zoom on June 28 for potential applicants to review the application process on the Forest Enhancement Society’s Information Management System and the guidebook.
The go2HR job board is free for tourism and hospitality employers operating in British Columbia. Post jobs and hiring events to find quality employees in Accommodation, Food and Beverage Services, Recreation and Entertainment, Transportation, and Travel Services. The go2HR Job Board receives 20,000 monthly visits from qualified candidates looking for front-line, supervisory, management or executive positions.
